Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark World Oceans Day, an international day to celebrate our oceans, encourage conservation, and address challenges like climate change, pollution, and overfishing.
This year we are celebrating with the theme “Healthy oceans, healthy planet”, focusing on the prevention of plastic in our oceans. According to the World Economic Forum, if we continue on this path, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050. Canada can do more to protect our oceans, habitat, and ecosystems. We can take immediate action to lower emissions and restore habitat protections in the Fisheries Act.
World Oceans Day is a great time to remind each other of the major role oceans have in our everyday lives, like providing most of the oxygen we breathe. We are fundamentally connected to our oceans and we must care for them as they care for us.
I encourage all members of the House to participate in World Oceans Day today. Together, we can make a world of difference.